In one instance, a Sullivan County resident was told he had not paid his taxes in five years and that he would be arrested within the hour if he did not pay by credit card over the phone.

Luckily, the resident realized this was a scam and did not fall victim.

It is not uncommon for these phone scammers to call back numerous times trying a new strategy each time.

If any resident receives a similar call they should know it is a scam.

The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notice of any taxes due through the mail. The IRS will never ask for any type of credit card information over the phone.Below is some additional information taken directly from the IRS website.

Other characteristics of this scam include:· Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.· Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim's Social Security number.· Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it's the IRS calling.· Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.· Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.

Residents who have received a call from someone pretending to be with the IRS can call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.

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